The one time I bought 00 flour (many years ago, when KAF came out with it...maybe it has improved?) for pasta I was not impressed with it. It seemed too wet, even when I added what seemed like too much, and it just didn't seem to roll out right. Then it was sort of unanimous that the flavor was sort of lacking compared to everyday AP flour. Out of curiosity, we checked out some places in the Italian market area that made fresh pasta, and some had 50 lb bags of bread flour as their flour of choice, others AP, but none with 00. This told me I probably wasn't imagining things.
One flour I tried with pasta that was delicious was the KAF French bread flour. I thought, if that could make such a difference in flavor with bread, how about pasta? Turned out really good, and everybody that tried it really liked it. I wish the price of that flour hadn't skyrocketed through the years.
The only time I have reduced the amount of eggs to flour in pasta was when coming up with a recipe for lo mein noodles, which seemed better texture wise with less egg and a little water added in place of it. Otherwise, it seems a loss in flavor, IMO.
I always rest my pasta twice. Once, before rolling, as this lets the flour absorb the moisture, and lets me see if it is too wet, and needs a little more flour. I always make it in the FP, and, as when making Chinese dumpling dough, I aim for what seems a tad too dry, but after the rest, it rolls out perfect - no sticking, but not dry. And after rolling out, I hang the sheets on the handles of my ovens for the second rest, which is short, and by the time I roll out the last one, the first is usually ready to cut.
All this talk about fresh pasta is going to necessitate my making some. Who started this? I know a friend of mine that will thank you.
